A trickle irrigation method is known as a method for culturing plants. In the trickle irrigation method, for example, a trickle irrigation tube is disposed on the soil in which plants are planted, and irrigation liquid such as water and liquid fertilizer is slowly supplied from the trickle irrigation tube to the soil. The trickle irrigation method can minimize the consumption amount of the irrigation liquid, and has been increasingly attracting attention in recent years.
The trickle irrigation tube typically has a tube and an emitter (also called “dripper”). The emitter typically supplies the soil with the irrigation liquid in the tube at a predetermined rate at which the irrigation liquid is dropped to the soil. Emitters which are pierced into the tube from the outside, and emitters joined to the inner wall surface of the tube are known.
For example, the latter emitter has a channel including a pressure reduction channel for allowing the liquid having entered the emitter from the internal space of the tube toward the through hole of the tube while reducing the pressure of the liquid, and a diaphragm part configured to change the volume of a portion of the channel where the irrigation liquid having reduced pressure flows in accordance with the pressure of the liquid of the internal space. The emitter is composed of a member which is joined to the inner wall surface of the tube, a member which is disposed on the member joined to the inner wall surface, and a diaphragm part which is disposed between the two members. The diaphragm part is composed of an elastic film such as a silicone rubber film (see, for example, PTL 1).
The emitter can suppress variation of the discharge rate of the irrigation liquid regardless of change of the pressure of the liquid in the internal space of the tube. Therefore, the emitter is advantageous from the viewpoint of uniformly growing multiple plants.